Thlipit

Thlipit contestant

(Archetype)

Ancestries

Any with a prehensile tongue, tail, or similarly flexible appendage

Source: Howl of the Wild, pg(s). 74–75

Thlipit is the name of both a sport and martial art originally devised by tripkees. The goal of the sport is to use one's tongue to slap objects from the air, and the martial art uses the tongue as a whiplike weapon. Practitioners of this style are known as thlipit contestants.

Origin

According to folklore, thlipit came to be as part of a wager. Bored tripkees improvised a game where the contestants had to use their tongues in order to gather fruit from nearby trees. As this first contest continued, competitors started to try and snap fruit from midair, and even use their tongues to push around the competition.

The martial art of thlipit uses the tongue, or equivalent appendage, as a whip, using smacks, grabs, and throws to keep the contestant in constant motion. Flourishes and feints create spectacle that either entertains spectators or baits foes into attacking from a disadvantageous position.

On Golarion

Thlipit is a mainstay of tripkee society. Though it originated with tripkees, migration to population centers such as Vidrian have exposed other ancestries to the sport; notably, lizardfolk youth exposed to the game have adapted a variant that uses their tails.

There is no formal training for thlipit, as most tripkee learn it through childhood games. Self-directed instruction is common, though most contestants will eventually seek out a more experienced mentor.

Notable thlipit contestants

• Baranthet Zamendi, naturalist of Almas University

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.